Interferon-gamma Release Assay among Tuberculin Skin Test Positive Students in Korean High Schools.
10.4046/trd.2010.68.6.328
- Author:
Young Kil PARK
1
;
Seung Heon LEE
;
Su Young KIM
;
Sung Weon RYOO
;
Chang Ki KIM
;
Hee Jin KIM
;
Eun Hee CHO
;
Byung Hee YOO
;
Jong Koo LEE
;
Won Jung KO
Author Information
1. Department of Microbiology, Korean Institute of Tuberculosis, Seoul, Korea. ypark7@empal.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Interferon-gamma Release Assay;
Latent Tuberculosis Infection;
Tuberculin Test;
Students
- MeSH:
Chemoprevention;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Interferon-gamma;
Interferon-gamma Release Tests;
Latent Tuberculosis;
Mass Screening;
Skin;
Skin Tests;
Tuberculin;
Tuberculin Test;
Tuberculosis;
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
- From:Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
2010;68(6):328-333
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: There are several active tuberculosis (TB) cases in Korean high schools each school year. The risk of transmission in schools is extremely high due to the considerable time spent in closed classrooms. We evaluated the control of latent tuberculosis infection in Korean high schools. METHODS: When a student was identified with active TB, tuberculin skin testing was performed on their classmates and on students in their same school grade. When a student had a positive tuberculin skin tests (TST), they underwent follow-up testing with QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT). The manufacturer recommended a cut-off of 0.35 IU/mL to determine QFT positivity was applied. RESULTS: A total of 131 pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients were included based on the criteria for screening TB contacts in the National Tuberculosis Control Program. Seventy-five (57.2%) students tested smear positive. TST were performed on 7,109 students who were classmates of, or in the same grade as, a TB patient. Of the contacts, 1,231 students (17.3%) were TST positive and they were screened with QFT. Six hundred-sixty-six (55.0%) of the tested students returned a positive QFT result and the rate of positivity was significantly associated with the increasing size of TST indurations (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The use of QFT resulted in approximately 45% of TST positive students not being given chemoprophylaxis.
